The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 27

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2006 The Boston Glob LivinglArts C3 Hot commodity There's nothing stealth about "Rescue Me." The FX show about a bawdy bunch of New York firefighters is entertaining because it's straightforward. Denis Leary and his band of brothers are compelling characters, and the scripts are spiked with just enough action and emotion, sex and sadism. The second season of "Rescue Me" was released Tuesday on DVD, and the third season premieres May 30. To mark the occasion, we dialed up actor John Scurti, whose character, Lieutenant Kenny "Lou" Shea, lost his life savings last season to a conniving prostitute named what else? Candy. Reached at his retreat in Woodstock, N.Y, Scurti talked about TVs hottest show.

I L. O.J.'s Bronco joke riles Goldman family In a scene from his new candid-camera program "Juiced," OJ. Simpson pulls a prank involving the infamous white Bronco, drawing criticism from the family of a man he was accused of killing. As part of i i i the pay-per-view show, Simpson pretends to sell the Bronco at a used car lot and boasts to a prospective buyer that he made the vehicle famous, according to a segment aired on "Inside Edition." "It was good Pp1 'Z i 1 lit A 1 Vi- I A It A i i 1 i 1 -J A. He's a smart guy and a very loyal guy.

If it wasn't for him putting his neck on the line for me, who knows? I'd still be working, but I wouldn't have this opportunity. The freakiest thing about him is his energy. The thought of him sleeping is weird. I can't imagine a metabolism more different than mine. 0- And he's no fan of the president.

A. This season, more of that is seeping into the show. When you look at what's going on in the world, it's hard not to get a couple of slams in." 0- Getting back to your metabolism, you're kind of a chubby guy and you're surrounded by some very good-looking guys. Is that hard? A. Great question.

It's actually been more of a stumbling block than I thought it would be. I've never been interested in the red-carpet stuff I'm from the character actor school but it's difficult sometimes because you feel like, 'Christ, I'm doing good work and they're flocking to all that's shimmering and That's not to say my character doesn't have female fans. Q. Tell me more. A.

Lou's the most approachable character on the show, so I guess women have a soft spot for him. Q. How'd you get this gig? A. I've known Denis for a long time. We worked together on "The Ref" and "Who's the Man?" He and I like to bounce ideas off each other.

Q. You actually wrote an episode of "Rescue Me" last season, right? A. Yeah, and it was good enough that they want me to write another one. A lot of the stuff that ends up in the script comes from real life, whether it's a rescue or relationship stuff or 0- A prostitute named Candy? A. Let's just say there was a really good friend of mine who met a woman of the night on the Internet and she was absolutely, stunningly beautiful.

That was the launching pad for Lou meeting someone. Q. the crude humor and the sexual stuff that make the show popular? A. When Denis was making the deal for "Rescue Me," he said he needed artistic control because he knows what a bunch of suits can do to a show. The show's as crisp and improvised as it is be- cause we sometimes slash for me it helped me get away," Simpson said, referring to the slow-speed, televised police chase that preceded his 1994 arrest on charges of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, told "Inside Edition" he found Simpson's comment "morally reprehensible." Simpson was acquitted of murder. A civil jury held him liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the Brown and Goldman families. Much of that judgment remains unpaid. Former teen idol Garrett headed to jail Leif Garrett was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years' probation after opting out of a drug treatment program he said was too strict. The 44-year-old former teen idol was given credit for jail time he had already served since being taken into custody March 30 after a Superior Court commissioner in Los Angeles determined he failed several drug tests while staying in a live-in drug diversion program.

Garrett pleaded guilty last year to attempted possession of cocaine-based narcotics based on a 2004 arrest and was placed in a less stringent, outpatient rehab program. Girl alleges date rape at Nolte home A judge in Santa Monica, refused to throw out a lawsuit against Nick Nolte and his son, Brawley, filed by a woman who said a partygoer drugged and sexually assaulted her at the actor's home when she was 15. Superior Court Judge Gerald Rosenberg denied a motion to dismiss the case, which is scheduled for trial next month. The lawsuit contends that the woman, now 18, was given the so-called "date-rape" drug GHB at a party at Nolte's Malibu home in 2003. FROM WIRE REPORTS "The freakiest thing about him is his energy.

The thought of him sleeping is weird," John Scurti (left) says of Denis Leary. Q. You worked with Tom Cruise A. I got nothing against the guy, 4 a.m in zero-degree weather. and burn the script while the cameras are rolling.

If it doesn't feel right, we change it. 0- You're writing a "Rescue Me" 'blog for TV Guide. Whafs on it? A. I just make up a lot of gossip and slander. Q.

Tell me about Leary. Is the guy a tyrant on the set? You take grits for granted "American Idol" finalist Taylor Hicks, who returned home to Alabama yesterday for a visit that was slated to include a parade, a visit with the governor, and some down-home Southern food he can't get while taping in Los Angeles Music Pianist birthday bash is a blast Williams is a favorite at Symphony Hall By Jonathan Perry GLOBE CORRESPONDENT Worcester-born pianist Al Vega has only semi-retired from the Boston jazz universe he helped Music launch nearly 70 years ago, when he began Review jamming with every- one from Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday to Betty Carter and Stan Getz at long-vanished clubs that remain only in the mists of memory. Unlike those crumbled edifices of brick and mortar, the flesh-and-blood Vega is still behind his Yamaha piano, still performing three nights a week around Boston, still discovering and championing fresh talent, and still coaching Babe Ruth League baseball in Everett. And why not? The man's only 85. As vocalist Rebecca Parris marveled with bawdy affection during Thursday night's celebration at Scullers honoring Vega's accomplishments on the occasion of his 85th year, "he's got the hair color of a 50-year-old!" Words like "unbelievable," "amazing," and "inspiration" were uttered often by master of ceremonies Ron Delia Chiesa and the star-studded array of performers who, during two shows overflow- on "War of the Worlds." Is he weird? but he did seem a little too happy at MARKSHANAHAN DJ arrested after rant against rival NEW YORK A syndicated hip-hop disc jockey was arrested yesterday on charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child amid an uproar over his on-air racial and sexual rants about a radio rival's wife and 4-year-old daughter.

Police officials began a hate crime investigation of DJ Star on Thursday after reviewing a transcript of his recent remarks about DJ Envy and his family. DJ Star, whose real name is Troi Torain, was contacted by police yesterday and ordered to surrender a 9mm handgun and target practice permit at police headquarters. When he arrived, he was arrested, said police spokesman Paul Browne. After City Councilor John C. Liu and other outraged elected officials called a news conference to publicly scold Torain, he was fired Wednesday from his job at WWPR-FM (Power 105).

The station's owner, a unit of Clear Channel Communications said it found his statements "wholly unacceptable." Not satisfied, the politicians demanded a criminal investigation and got one. A call to Torain's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, was not immediately returned. Brafman had apologized on his client's behalf Thursday, calling the remarks "unsuitable and inappropriate." In the comments made between May 3 and Monday, Torain, co-host of the "Star Buc Wild Morning Show," offered $500 to any listener who could provide information about the school where the rival disc jockey's daughter goes and used racial slurs when talking about his wife, who's part Asian. He then made vulgar, sexual comments about the daughter. ASSOCIATED PRESS "LAUGH YOURSELF SILLY" -TUB BOSTON CLOSE tHAMt moHtt 617-426-5225 Ot (MIR MU AT MSUMMMHXCOM 0.

What's next for you? A. A nap. After that, I don't know. Al Vega's 85th An All-Star Birthday Celebration At: Scullers Jazz Club, Thursday night instrumentalist phenom from Brookline. But what stood out amid the testimonials and tasty performances Steve Marvin's breezy take on Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Ellen O'Brien's bluesy reading of the Etta James standard, "At DD Martin's lusciously torchy "My Funny Cassandre McKinley's vamping, temperature-raising "Fever" was the anchoring presence of Vega himself.

Supported by an alternating backing band that included his Al Vega Trio core of Erik Ojala on upright bass and Rick Klane on drums, the guest of honor was as versatile and vivacious on the keys as ever, a commanding catalyst. His band gave the fast-moving Miles Davis staple "On Green Dolphin Street," an elastic, ecstatic groove that spiked the energy of the room. Vega, in his joyful element, darted nimbly through the measures and melody, as if outpacing the lengthening shadows of his accrued years, staying in the swinging sunlight of the music. in listeners off the coast of someplace I've never heard of," really does have the potential to break out. This is partially attributable to a catchy chorus and sweet melody, and also because it's one of the track titles suitable for print and airwaves For now, until the band's distortion-driven tunes and endearing onstage quirks lead it to headlining status, the top spot was filled Thursday by Seattle indie punks Pretty Girls Make Graves.

The five-piece band delighted the hipster audience with a zealous but fairly generic set. Front-woman Andrea Zollo kept fans on their feet with each shimmy and shake; her command of the stage warranted constant attention even if her voice sounded like a cheap substitute for Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Review MICHAEL J. LUTCHBSO John Williams brought some of his less well-known music to Symphony Hall Thursday. Boston Pops John Williams, conductor laureate At: Symphony Hall, Thursday night Smirnova was equally assured in the swirls of "The Chairman's Waltz." A medley of "Monsters, Beauties Heroes" brought music from four historic film scores as well as bits of Williams's "Jaws" and "Superman," which by now are historic too.

This accompanied an enter-taining visual montage of monsters (various Draculas), heroes from Errol Flynn to Lassie, and beauties from Garbo to Julia Roberts. Smirnova shone again in the themes from "Cinema Paradi-so" and David Raksin's "Laura," and there were tributes to two other major film composers of Williams's youth, Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein. The official program closed with Williams's "Olympic Spirit," played to exhilarating clips from Olympic victories, and the unannounced encore was "Raiders of the Lost Ark," whose opening phrases were greeted with applause of recognition. mmmjmwmmmmmmmm mi 3ing with love, hu mor, and performances, took turns paying tribute to a pianist whose Vega was versatile and vivacious. generosity of spirit always matched his musical chops.

"Al plays at such a wonderful level, and I know that back then as a student at Berklee during the '70s, I didn't," recalled Natick native Mark Greel, who employed flute, trumpet, and his smoky swirl of a voice for a languorous reading of "She Was Too Good to Me." "But Al never made me feel anything less than welcome, and I'll always appreciate that." The local jazz heavyweights who had first found their professional footing beside Vega's piano decades ago or just last month paid back that debt of kindness through the music. The roster ranged from the seasoned master vocal stylist Charlie Harris to 13-year-old Grace Kelly, a multi- Giant Drag With: Pretty Girls Make Graves At: the Middle East Downstairs, Thursday ly full-length album, "Hearts and Unicorns." Like Phair and Love, Hardy doesn't have the strongest voice. And she doesn't have the haunting quality of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen or the power of Rainer Maria's Caithlin De Marrais. Instead, her thin voice floats above the fuzzy guitar in wisps of sensuality until it dissipates like smoke. Calabrese knows it's Hardy's show and, though he seems to be more technically skilled, he barely even glances up from his kit.

"This Isn't It," which Hardy jokingly introduced as the band's "No. 1 hit single on a small island 1 wt4inipi4HP Reprinted from late editions of yesterday's Globe- By Richard Dyer GLOBE STAFF A roar of welcome from a sold-out Symphony Hall greeted John Williams Thursday night when he came onstage to conduct the Boston Pops in a program of film music; later a voice cried from the balcony, "We love you, John." The i conductor laureate has led the Ppps at Tanglewood every sum-: ner, but he has not appeared in Boston for a couple of years. The evening was full of Wil- Harris's own music, but not all of it was as familiar as the inevitable excerpts from "Star Wars" and two I of the "Harry Potter" films. There was a cheerful little number from "Empire of the Sun to Ne-i verland" from "Hook" may not be the most memorable of Williams's flight scenes, but it's better than i the movie it came from, and short-: er. Thirty years on, the special ef- fects in the early "Star Wars" films are beginning to look a little cheesy, but the music is still stir-; ring.

It was interesting to hear the sweet "Anakin's Theme" from the i second series, which carries with-; in it the seeds of the sinister "Im-i perial March." The ballet scores of Tchaikov-i sky and Prokofiev are the inspira-: tion for the "Harry Potter" music. Williams's tunes are good, his orchestration glittering. Introducing "Hedwig's Theme," Williams joked that he was never sure of the gender of the owl, so he said it was "his" or "her" theme. The soloist spot was filled by a suite from "Memoirs of a Geisha," music that shows Williams stepping away from his heroic mode to work as a subtle harmonist and colorist. In music written for Yo-Yo Ma, cellist Martha Babcock made sensitive and alluring statements of her own; she was especially effective at suggesting the timbres and attacks of Japanese instruments.

Concertmaster Tamara Giant Drag's quirks pull By Bobby Hankinson GLOBE CORRESPONDENT CAMBRIDGE As Giant Drag's Annie Hardy took the stage at the Middle East Downstairs, the Mucin mousy ist addressed the Review crowd with the trepi- dation of a third-grader in the school play. "We are Giant Drag and here is going to be a song," she squeaked. Yet, when she started playing, guitar slung low around her hips, she channeled the visceral energy of gritty rock chicks like Liz Phair (before the pop crossover) and Courtney Love (before the rehab). Hardy and Micah Calabrese, who worked the drums and synth, slithered through tracks such as "Blunt Picket Fence," "Yflmd," and "Kevin Is Gay" from the band's on-.